A Taste of Home
by Skaoi
Summary: In which a piece of the Chloe Puzzle falls into place. This is a one-shot for Nix Crepsley's challenge. :)
The elevator doors open and Chloe steps into the room to the sound of Lucifer playing the piano. The song is familiar and she cocks her head, trying to place it but grows distracted watching his movements on the bench. _He might be a bit cracked, but he is certainly nice to watch,_ she thinks to herself _._ She finds herself swaying to mirror his movements as she listens, then it hits her. "Halo!" she calls out while snapping her fingers. The club owner chuckles as he continues to play. "Very good, Detective. Yes, I rather enjoy this little tune from Hailey James Scott. Are you enjoying the view back there?"

She walks around the piano to stare at him. "You watch television?" she asks in shock. "Of course, I do, Detective. You humans are an endless source of entertainment and there are few better places to see it all than on the telly." He grins and leans forward, "I adore that Judge Judy. Woman after my own heart, that. Wonder what she's not wearing under that robe…"

Chloe shakes her head and laughs. "Things I never wanted to hear. Ew." He waggles his eyebrow and leers, "Don't knock it, my dear. With age comes experience and a delightful reduction in inhibitions. Old as I am, I have absolutely none to speak of. Care to have a go and see for yourself?" He grins hopefully.

She shakes her head as she makes a dismissive sound. "Ain't happening," she chuckles at the small sound of disappointment that escapes him. Shifting gears, she returns to the reason she showed up at his apartment. "So, you called and said it's important. I'm here – what it is?"

Lucifer stops playing and stands up. "It is indeed important, Detective. It is, as you humans say, hot as Hell – although it's not by a long shot – and I thought I'd invite you over for a bit of a swim." Her mouth falls open, "Seriously? You called me over here to have a pool party? Looking for a re-enactment of your favorite movie? No way." She grabs her bag and makes for the elevator.

"Detective, we can talk about the current case while we cool off. Come on," he begs as he hops forward to head her off. He gestures at the sweat on her forehead, "Look - you're positively _melting_ and it's not even noon yet. It'll be fun, I promise." She frowns and shakes her head. "No. I don't even have a suit with me." Lucifer opens his mouth to rebut and she points at him, "And NO, I'm NOT skinny-dipping with you. For. Get. It."

He puts his hand on her arm, "I have suits here, Detective." She raises her eyebrows in her by-now-trademarked 'oh really?' look. "Don't look at me like that, they've never been worn. I'm a gentleman with a pool that has ladies over on occasion. It's good to be prepared." _Gentleman? Hah!_ She shakes her head as she tries to escape again and his grip on her arm tightens. Then it's his turn to raise his eyebrows.

"Detective, you're shaking like a leaf, whatever is the matter?" he asks, genuinely confused. She shakes him off and tries again to walk past. "It's nothing, Lucifer, just let me go. Please."

"I most certainly will not, Detective. Not until you tell me what's wrong. There are no beasties in the water, if that's what you're worried about. Not even Maze. I just had the pool cleaned, in fact."

"I…can't. Lucifer. Just….I can't, okay?" He hears her voice shake and relents. "Very well, I won't press you further for a dip. But I won't let you leave in such a state of distress, either. Have a seat and I'll pour while you tell me what's upset you so. This is what friends do, right?" She tries to wave him off, "It's…nothing. Don't worry about it."

Lucifer frowns as he hands her a generously poured scotch. "I disagree, darling, it's certainly not _nothing_. Out with it. You can tell me anything." She looks up at him, one final, silent plea to let her off the hook but he isn't having any of it. "Go on, then," he says. "Was it something salacious? You got caught swimming in your birthday suit, perhaps? Or maybe it was bad ocean sex with Detective Douche?"

She sighs and takes a long pull off the drink in her hand. "It was the year after I did Hot Tub High School. I was at a party and got knocked into the pool. Hit my head on the edge on the way into the water and got knocked out." Chloe takes a deep breath then another drink before she looks up into the endless depths of Lucifer's eyes. "I drowned," she says softly.

Lucifer's heart stops for a moment while he processes her words then he leans forward, never breaking eye contact. "But you are… _here_ , so you obviously…" he says carefully. She puts a hand up to stop him. "I was dead, Lucifer. I was pulled out of the pool without a heartbeat and the EMTs worked on me for five minutes before reviving me."

He frowns and steps back. "Five minutes, you say?" She nods silently and looks down at her drink. "I haven't been swimming since." She tosses back the rest of her drink and neither of them say anything for a long minute. Lucifer paces slowly, lost in thought , then gives her a long look before refilling her glass. "Do you recall what happened while you were….not here temporarily?" She frowns at him, "What do you mean 'do I recall?' Lucifer, I was dead. Nothing happened. There was nothing."

He continues to frown, "Are you quite sure? No bright lights or pearly gates? No boring speech by a particularly portly fellow with brown wings – looked rather like an owl?" Chloe rolls her eyes in frustration, "No, Lucifer. I don't remember anything. I was DEAD."

Lucifer emits a loud sigh of frustration. "There must have been SOMEthing, Detective, and I know for a fact you didn't go to Hell because I have the misfortune of recalling every name on the register and yours isn't on it." She huffed, a loud exclamation of exasperation. "I knew it was a mistake to talk about this with you. That you'd somehow attach it to this…" she gestures dismissively, "… _madness_ you have to it. I'm just going to go home, okay? Let me know when you've got your head out of your ass and can focus on something else."

She stands up quickly and stalks toward the door. "Chloe….wait," he calls. The surprise of hearing him use her name stops her for a second. Just long enough for him to place himself in front of her. _Why the hell does he have to be so damned tall?_ She asks herself. She puts a hand up to stop whatever he has to say and it lands on his chest. He holds her shoulders and looks down at her, his gaze intent on holding hers. "Think, for a moment, about what happened that night," he says softly. She opens her mouth to protest and he stops her. "Just for a moment. Please?" Chloe shakes her head, "There's nothing to remember, Lucifer. I'm sorry."

He leans forward and whispers again, "Try…" then he kisses her. He is so gentle at first, it's as if he is hardly there at all. Ghost of a touch on her lips. She raises a hand to push him away but her traitorous fingers brush his cheek instead.

Her eyes flutter closed and she sighs. Encouraged, he carefully deepens the kiss and she feels engulfed by warmth. _Not what I would have expected at all_ , she muses. Her arms wrap around his neck of their own volition and he steps closer to press his body to hers. Delicately, his tongue requests entrance and she gives it. _Oh God, he kisses like an angel._ From behind her eyelids, Chloe senses light but she's not sure where it's coming from. Her pulse quickens as the light grows brighter.

Suddenly, in her mind's eye, she sees two figures in robes – each in front of a door. One is ornate and jewel-encrusted. The other, simple wood; somehow, she knows she has to choose one. It's like she's seen them before. Always one to prefer clean simplicity, Chloe chooses the plain, wooden door and the robed man in front of it smiles warmly. He gestures for her to open it. Her hand turns the knob and as she begins to pull it open, Lucifer abruptly breaks off the kiss. "Bloody Hell," he mutters as he steps back to stare at her, his hand to his mouth in surprise. It takes her a moment to recover herself and she looks at him in confusion. "What just happened? What the hell was THAT?"

For his part, Lucifer did not escape unaffected. As they part, the look on his face registers shock and something else. Something profoundly sad. He takes a moment to calm himself while he stares at her. He turns his back for a moment, deep in thought, then gestures toward her general person. "It seems, my dear Detective," he says in a hoarse voice, "that as a result of that unfortunate incident, you made your way to my Father's door."

She continues to seem confused and he sighs heavily. "You died and went to Heaven, Detective. The question is, who returned you and why?" His eyes slant suspiciously.

"You could see that?" she asks. "What I saw in…my memory, I guess…?"

Lucifer arches an eyebrow, "Still not a Jedi so, no, I didn't see anything at all." Chloe frowns, "then how did you…?"

"Because….it's just…." He pauses and takes a ragged, emotional breath while raking his hand through his short black curls. She tries to turn away but the blackness of his eyes refuses to let her go. The heartbreak is evident – he looks destroyed. "You taste like Heaven," he whispers.


End file.
